What do you usually do with a tablet that you’re not using anymore? You can hand it to an older relative or to a younger kid from the family. The problem is that most average slates aren’t kid-friendly, but Google is ready to solve that problem with an app. We have details about it below.
Google’s Family Link app allows parents to give the little ones older Android slates without having to worry about parental controls and overspending in the Play Store. All they need to do is create a Google account for the kids and download the application. It went live today and can be downloaded here. Up until now it was only available with an invite.
Family Link lets parents approve or block apps that the kids want to download from the Store. They can also monitor the little one’s screen time and apps that they access, as well as set device time limits and remotely lock the devices for bedtime or studying. With this app Google is competing with the many kid-friendly Amazon Fire tablets, plus the offers from Fuhu Nabi and Samsung even.
Parents can also retrieve more detailed information on the apps kids are using and even the websites they’re browsing. A new parent-focused dashboard debuted this spring. By the way, the app also works on phones, not only tables. The only requirement is that the device uses Android Nougat. It even works on an iOS 9 device, from what we’ve heard.
